Taxation and Cultural Heritage

Book overview

A comprehensive examination that compares tax law and budgetary policies, both on an international and domestic scale, to assess their influence on safeguarding and fostering cultural heritage.

Key themes and topics

This book offers an extensive, interdisciplinary, and comparative analysis of the public financial framework related to historical heritage. It presents insights into the legal structures and public policies that utilize tax incentives to support and enhance cultural heritage. The book includes examples of how this can be achieved in a systematic and effective manner. By addressing a significant gap in the global literature on financing and taxation related to cultural heritage, it brings together experts from various regions of Europe and beyond to explore diverse approaches and strategies.

Comprising of three parts, the book delves into economic, international, and European frameworks. In Part 1, it examines guidelines and limitations from organizations such as the OECD, UNESCO, and the European Union.

Part 2 explores the taxation of cultural heritage by analyzing selected national practices to pinpoint optimal strategies in the field. This section conducts an in-depth review of the current regulatory frameworks for cultural heritage in various countries around the world, addressing both the constitutional aspects and policies related to taxation and public expenditure aimed at preserving and promoting cultural heritage.

Part 3 discusses the current issues like VAT systems for artworks, taxation of museums, free ports for art, transfer in lieu, and tax regimes for art cities and artists in cultural heritage taxation. The book wraps up with a detailed analysis, comparison, and synthesis of the main findings from the three sections.

While many global financial initiatives aim to safeguard, preserve, and enhance humanity's cultural heritage through direct subsidies, this book specifically focuses on tax incentives and the regulatory environments in which they operate. This study provides a comprehensive examination of these initiatives, supported by Professor Lorenzo del Federico at the University of Chieti-Pescara.